The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government is working on a plan to upgrade some Category B senior high schools to Category A status as part of efforts to resolve the country’s school placement challenges.

According to him, the initiative aims to ensure fairness and expand access for students who often struggle to gain admission into their preferred Category A schools.

Speaking at the launch of the ADEA Triennale on Education Conference, Mr. Iddrisu explained that the ministry will need adequate budgetary support to provide the required infrastructure in the selected schools.

“The ministry acknowledges that there is a significant challenge when there are 76,000 vacancies, but 393,000 qualified applicants desiring to fill them. The challenge is described as a near impossibility,” he said.

The minister further disclosed that discussions with the President have already begun toward the implementation of the plan in 2026.

“To address equity and capacity, the Minister has discussed with the President a plan for 2026 to convert at least 10 Category C schools to Category B, and 10 Category B schools to Category A. This conversion will be backed by infrastructure development, including available classroom blocks, dormitories for students, and quality improvement through improved teaching and learning materials and aids.

“But I will need budgetary support and allocation to do that,” he indicated.

The announcement comes in the wake of a petition presented by the Coalition of Unpaid Teachers—comprising graduates from Colleges of Education and universities—over 13 months of unpaid salaries.

After receiving the petition on Tuesday, September 30, Mr. Iddrisu assured the group that the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, would submit a joint memorandum to Cabinet to address their concerns.